Events Calendar

Born to North Carolina sharecroppers in 1914, Thomas Sills took a circuitous path to achieve success as an artist. When he was only 11, he traveled by train from Raleigh to Harlem, where he stayed with an older brother. Over the years he worked a number of odd jobs, including theater doorman, church custodian, stevedore, and liquor deliveryman.

It was in a Greenwich Village liquor store that Sills met the artist Jeanne Reynal. The two married, and Reynal introduced Sills to her circle of friends and colleagues, who included the artists Elaine and Willem de Kooning, David Hare, Mark Rothko, and critic Harold Rosenberg. An avid collector as well as artist, Reynal acquired works by Max Ernst, the de Koonings, Marcel duChamp, and a number of others. As Sills remarked,  “With paintings and artists all around me, it didn’t take very long before I got stirred up to doing my own work. . . . I wanted to go my own way from the very beginning.”

 Sills’ first solo exhibition was held at Betty Parsons Gallery in May 1955. He experimented with color and form his entire career, moving from the action painting of Abstract Expressionism to vibrant Color Field painting with energetic palettes and juxtapositions.

Reluctant to be categorized as a “Black artist,” Sills commented, “If  somebody told me that I had to paint this way or that I had to do that . . . I wouldn’t want it. . . . You like it or you don’t like it, but I am doing what I want.”

Sills worked and exhibited for almost 30 years. His final solo exhibition was in 1980. His work is included in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, all New York; along with the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Greenville County Museum of Art.

Rockwell’s hopeful and admiring attitude toward humanity was the hallmark of his work. He loved to paint pictures that conveyed stories about people, their attitude toward each other, and his feelings about them.

During his forty-seven year affiliation with The Saturday Evening Post, Norman Rockwell was celebrated for his special holiday cover illustrations, which were commissioned to mark a full spectrum of annual events for an enthusiastic public, from Thanksgiving, Christmas, and The New Year to Valentine’s Day and April Fools’ Day.  Whether it was the presentation of mouth-watering turkey at the Thanksgiving table or a rosy-cheeked Santa checking his list to see who’s naughty or nice, the illustrations simply conveyed Americana. In a rapidly changing world, Norman Rockwell’s art has been a reassuring guide for over six decades, and it continues to resonate today.

The Upcountry History Museum – Furman University in partnership with the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts will host the traveling exhibition Norman Rockwell’s Home for the Holidays.  This beloved exhibition, featuring over 40 of Norman Rockwell’s most memorable and enduring holiday images, will make its South Carolina debut at the Upcountry History Museum.

This high quality Morning Out program includes sleigh rides, ice skating, snowman building, and many other exciting activities your child will love! Let your kid experience all the fun that comes with playing in the snow by making a reservation today.

Snow Carnival Details

Snow Carnivals are only available for groups with a minimum of ten children

Schedule: Available Monday – Friday from 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Cost: $9 per child

Snow Carnivals are held based on reservation. To make a reservation or learn more about the program, call 864.467.3483 or email Daniel Halliman.

The Soldier Bishop: Ellison Capers, a special exhibit created by Faith Memorial Chapel, Cedar Mountain, NC, now on display at the Upcountry History Museum, presents the unshakable faith of Rt. Reverend Ellison Capers and how his fortitude created a lasting legacy.

Though he lost loved ones and survived many of his own near-death experiences in some of the most horrific engagements of the American Civil War (1861-1865), Capers’ trust in God and the path before him never faltered. In 1865, at the age of 28, he was promoted in the military to Brigadier General receiving recognition for his leadership and distinguished service. After the war Capers was elected Secretary of State for South Carolina. Even so, his calling to Christ was overpowering. The Governor told him, “You can be a Governor, Senator, or anything you like. You will be a fool to give all this to become a preacher.”

In 1866, Capers accepted a call to Christ Church Episcopal in Greenville, South Carolina, where he served for 20 years. He was consecrated as bishop of the State of South Carolina in 1893 and moved to Charleston. To escape the summer heat, he purchased a plot of land in Cedar Mountain, NC, and erected a cottage. This inspired in Mrs. Capers a dream to erect an Episcopal chapel for the local population. In 1894, this dream became a reality, and “Faith Chapel” was built.

“Faith Chapel” fell into disrepair following Capers death in 1908. In honor of his enduring influence and guidance, a disciple of Capers, the Reverend Dr. Alexander Mitchell from Greenville, began a movement to rebuild the chapel and dedicated the new church, “Faith Memorial Chapel,” in Capers’ memory in 1941.

The exhibit shares the story of Ellison Capers and the history of Faith Memorial Chapel. Historical artifacts, including Capers’ original military sword, the musket balls that nearly killed him, his war diaries and handwritten letters to his wife from the battlefield, and the preserved renderings for rebuilding the Chapel dedicated to his memory, highlight key moments of Capers life’s journey through war, faith, and salvation.

Since the American Revolutionary War, military working dogs have served with all branches of the United States Armed Forces. First used as pack animals, working dogs have expanded their military roles to include scouting, policing, detection, and combat.

U.S. military dogs officially began serving in WWII, following the formation of the Dogs for Defense, Inc. coalition. Today, hundreds of dogs serve with U.S. military forces around the globe assisting with dangerous missions on today’s modern battlefields.

The exhibition combines life-size sculptures designed by Ohio master craftsman James Mellick with combat art and objects on loan from the collections of the National Museum of the Marine Corps, the United States Coast Guard, and the United States Navy.

The project features eight Wounded Warrior and two Canine War Dog sculptures, bringing attention to the history, service and heroism of military working dogs. The collection represents Doberman Pinchers, German Shepherds, Labrador Retrievers and Belgian Malinois who served in WWII, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan military campaigns.

One of James Mellick’s sculptures represents Lucca, a Marine Corps war dog.  She conducted more than 400 missions during two deployments to Iraq and one to Afghanistan.  One of those missions cost Lucca her leg and severe burns but there were no human casualties under her watch.  When she retired, her handler was able to adopt her.

Twenty pieces of art paint a more complete picture of dogs at work, detailing the most menacing war dogs to goggled high-flying dogs to sleeping warriors and keen detectives. Artifacts include items used by war dogs and their handlers. Dog uniforms, medical kits and Purple Hearts share poignant stories of perseverance and bravery.

Military working dogs have served and protected countless lives in war, this inspiring exhibition tells their amazing story.

SKATE ON A PERFECT SHEET OF ICE

At the Pavilion, our state-of-the-art ice system creates a smooth, professional, and sustainable surface available for a variety of great ice activities. Take a lesson, bring a friend, or go on your own during our public skate times.

SKATE ON A PERFECT SHEET OF ICE

At the Pavilion, our state-of-the-art ice system creates a smooth, professional, and sustainable surface available for a variety of great ice activities. Take a lesson, bring a friend, or go on your own during our public skate times.

Sharing Life. Saving Lives.